Trying Vegan food

In my continued effort to try out different ideas, I have gotten on the Vegan band wagon. No, I am not a Vegan and don’t plan to be. I am just curious about whether the food choices Vegan’s make are tasty.

Years ago I worked in a Health Food store and I always hated the smells from all the Vitamins and doctored foods that mimicked non-Vegetarian fare. With renewed interest in Veganism, things have changed. At least I thought they had but my theory needed to be proven.

My sister bought me the book, “the conscious cook” several years ago. She had seen the chef on Oprah. He was talking about a Chicken substitute called Gardein. Well my experience with faux meat has not been all that exciting. I have found a few products that I can use, but most  can taste either like cardboard or vitamins.

Well I thought I would give Gardein a try…after all they talked about it on Oprah. Yuk! It was not up to my standard. In fact, I threw it away. I looked through the cookbook and some of the food looked interesting but way too much work. Cashew cream? Tempura beet rollatini? All I could think of is red beet juice getting on my carpet. Unfortunately and to my sister’s dismay, I did not use the cook book.

When I went to Rancho La Puerto Spa in Mexico last summer, I was exposed to a diet that was not purely Vegan but there was very little dairy, no meat and Seafood served only once.  Flax and Chia seeds were always abundant to sprinkle on the salads or vegetables.

The spa promotes eating abundant portions of nutrient dense foods. I ate a lot and found that I had very few sugar cravings and I didn’t gain an ounce. I also felt great.

I came back with renewed interest in an alternative eating style. Then I happened upon a website called Damy Health. It was written by a personal trainer and included many Vegetarian and Vegan recipes.  One I mentioned earlier was for a Cashew Cheese. There were those raw Cashews showing up again. Still it sounded so good, I made it and it’s one of my favorite foods now.

I was on a roll. I found a recipe for Pumpkin No Bake Energy bites http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/pumpkin-no-bake-energy-bites/. I love Pumpkin and Pumpkin seeds so this was a no brainer. I am allergic to oats so I managed to make them using wheat flakes (sorry Gluten free gang).

Next were Candy Apple Macaroons http://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2011/03/candy-apple-macaroons/. They weren’t quite like the picture but I liked them and I was eating something healthier than cookies. 

 Since I was branching out, I decided this weekend to try Vegan Mac and Cheese http://www.damyhealth.com/2012/11/vegan-cauliflower-mac-cheese/. This one was a real stretch for me because the Mac part is really grated cauliflower. I love raw cauliflower but I have no love for cooked cauliflower. Still, I wanted to be adventurous so I took on the task of making it the Vegan way.

So, now I must stop to tell you. Vegan cooking is a lot of work and it’s expensive too. There are always specialty ingredients, like flax meal, unsweetened coconut, almond flour etc. The flax meal comes in large bags. I only needed 3 tbl so I bought flax seed and put it in my coffee grinder. The almond flour is 11 dollars a bag. I only needed a tablespoon so again I ground it myself from toasted almonds.  Nutritional yeast was another trip to Central Market. Almond Milk, well it also comes in a carton, so I am now mixing it in with my milk for cereal.

I was starting to feel like I lived in the 1800’s, having to grind my own flour and seeds. I imagined that as I read further down the recipe, it might require me to build a fire to boil water in a kettle. That wasn’t the case but modern equipment isn’t always as simple as it seems.

It was time to grate the Cauliflower. I pulled  out the 25 year old (modern!)Cuisinart Food Processor. That alone is like lifting weights. I was just talking about it to my sister, touting all the things I used it for and how long I have had it.  Well I broke it grating the Cauliflower (no fault of the Cauliflower). The grating disk is now stuck on the stem and I can’t get them apart.  This is really some expensive Mac and Cheese.

The result….well I am not there yet. I started to put it all together for lunch when it dawned on me…Gas…Did I really want to eat a bowl of Cauliflower with Nutritional yeast for lunch?  What would I feel like later? Isn’t Cauliflower a gas producing vegetable?  Hmm…why didn’t I think of this before I broke the Processor! I cooked up some regular old gluten full macaroni and mixed it with the Cauliflower then put it all together and baked it. 

Now for the result…it was pretty good but not anywhere near the time, money and trouble it cost. 

Tomorrow I think I will make a piece of Salmon and a salad. Maybe I will even throw come Chia seeds on for good measure.  That’s more my style. Vegans must have a lot of money and time on their hands. Ask Bill Clinton or Steve Wynn or surprisingly Mike Tyson (yes he is Vegan,  except for an ear now and then).

Meatless Holiday Recipes

It is hard for me to believe, I have been a non-meat eater for over 20 years.  I became a Pescatarian soon after my divorce.

My reasons were not typical. I wasn’t on an “ethical” kick although I do love animals. The reason I decided to try giving up meat was because I really wasn’t eating or enjoying it anyway.

It made sense to make a change.

Initially, I figured if someone invited me for dinner I would eat meat if it was served, but just not at home. Upon learning of my culinary choices, my dinner invites pretty much disappeared. My friends were just too stressed about what they would cook if I was invited for dinner.

After about 8 years without meat, it sort of became an ethical thing. Why would I eat meat and take a life for it when it was really unnecessary. I was doing just fine without it.

So, here I am 20 years later finding that I am still not the purist that most non meat eaters are. I still eat dairy and fish. I believe it helps me to be a bit more balanced and sociable. Lately though I have been trying to go back to the roots of my food behavior change and eat more non animal product meals.

With the Vegan trend, it has become easier to find some tasty meal choices and recipes sans animal products.  I have been making more vegetarian meals/snacks and have found it positive in terms of my weight, health profile, hunger and energy levels.  This was also true when I initially became a Pescatarian.

My first two experiments with Vegan recipes were inspired by a fitness blog DAMY Health. The author is a trainer and Vegan. 

The two choices I made from the recipe file were excellent. First a chocolate candy made with coconut milk and cocoa then put in the freezer. It made a nice pre or post meal snack. The other was what was termed cashew cheese.  It is made with soaked raw (not really raw but that’s another story) cashews, extra virgin olive oil, sun dried tomatoes, basil and Sriracha chili (love Sriracha) I not only enjoyed this as a snack but also started having it on toast or crackers for breakfast.  It makes a satisfying breakfast that stays with you.

For Thanksgiving, I often make a stuffed acorn squash with soy meat, apples, dried fruit and maple syrup. This year I found a NY Times article listing recipes for a Vegan Christmas. They sounded not only nutritious but tasty too.  I thought I would try them.

I planned to make dinner with my sister. She came to Dallas on Thanksgiving, so we planned to have our Holiday dinner on the weekend.  Time got away from us and we never made the meal. After she left, I made the meal for me myself and I. Loved it.

I made Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Maple Syrup and toasted Hazelnuts and for dessert, dairy free Spiced Crème Brulee.

I also made myself a non dairy eggnog snack using Almond Milk, Spices and Vanilla Protein powder. A small swig of vanilla rum in it didn’t hurt a bit.

I know to true carnivores, these recipes may sound “different”. The only thing I can say is I recommend these. If you have an open mind, you might find you can enjoy a few meat free meals once in awhile.

The eggnog idea came from this recipe from P90x. http://www.beachbody.com/product/newsletters/nl_516.do?code=EML_P90XNL_138_20121204&ep_mid=114607473&ep_rid=2258079672&LID=R1_Eggnog#recipe

I did not follow the recipe. I used store bought almond milk(6oz maybe), about a ½ scoop of  LEAN Vanilla Protein Shake mix (http://www.waycooldiet.com/lean.html) for the sweetness and Vanilla flavor, about ½ a tablespoon almond butter, a shake of Apple Pie Spice and a good  pinch of allspice.

I whipped this all up in the blender with a few ice cubes until it was nice and frothy than served it with about a tablespoon of Vanilla Rum and freshly grated Nutmeg on top. Yum!

Here are links to the other recipes:

Holiday menu from the NY Times-

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/08/health/20101108_thanksgiving.html?ref=health#Harvest-Stuffed_Portobello_Mushrooms

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/08/health/20101108_thanksgiving.html?ref=health#Maple-Roasted_Brussels_Sprouts_With_Toasted_Hazelnuts

Holiday Spiced Vegan Crème Brulee http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/08/health/20101108_thanksgiving.html?ref=health#Holiday-Spiced_Vegan_Creme_Brulee

Damy Health recipes

Icy square chocolates-http://www.damyhealth.com/2012/03/homemade-icy-square-chocolates-coconut-oil-chocolates/

Sundried Tomato and Basil Cashew Cheese- http://www.damyhealth.com/2012/08/raw-sundried-tomato-and-basil-cashew-cheese/

Orange Sticky Salmon

I saw a Pinterest page from a Florida seafood website today. Looking at the recipes I saw one for Orange Sticky Shrimp.  Since I was trying to come up with an idea for dinner without grocery shopping it gave me an idea.

I didn’t have any shrimp but I had orange juice and Grand Marnier. So I took the sauce idea and adapted the recipe for a piece of salmon I had.

This is what I did. I preheated the toaster over to about 375. My salmon was a little over an inch thick. I sprinkled it with some pink salt, ground pepper, garlic powder and a light dusting of Cajun blackening seasoning, then popped it in the toaster over for about 12 minutes (common practice is 10 minutes per inch)

While if cooked, I poured ½ of a cup of orange juice and 1 ½ tbl Grand Marnier in a saucepan. I cooked it down until it way syrupy like honey.  To that I added just a little finely chopped jalapeno and about ¼ tsp butter.

When the salmon was done I poured the sauce over it. That was it. I loved it. I ate it with a salad on the side and it was filling and delicious. Clean up was a charm.

Here is the original recipe for the Orange Sticky Shrimp. You might try that sometime too. I bet it’s good.

Orange Sticky Shrimp http://www.florida-agriculture.com/consumers/fnr/recipes/Seafood-4211.html

Ingredients

    2 cups

    orange juice

    2 tablespoons

    triple sec liqueur

    1 1/2 pounds

    shrimp, peeled and deveined

    1 teaspoon

    sesame oil

    1 teaspoon

    soy sauce

    1 teaspoon

    chopped hot pepper

Preparation

Cook orange juice and triple sec in a large skillet until liquid has reduced to a very thick, honey like, consistency. Add shrimp and oil and cook approximately 6 to 8 minutes or until shrimp are opaque in the center and liquid thickens again. Add soy sauce and chopped pepper and mix well. Serve immediately.

Yield

4 servings

Summer dinner

I have been getting pretty bored with my “at home” meals lately. I have been busy socially which hasn’t left much time to cook at home. Consequently, meals have been an afterthought. I even went so far as to buy premade hummus. It is now sitting in the refrigerator being ignored. Too much garlic and all I can say is it didn’t agree with me. Mine, I love.

So this weekend, I decided to make a nice meal for myself. It was easy to make, fresh and perfect for a summer evening.

Although I wanted to cook, I had no desire to go to the grocery store.  I had some nice shrimp in the freezer, a perfect avocado, a mango and herbs from my patio garden.

One of my favorite food blogs is Closet Cooking. On the site I found a recipe for Mango, Avocado and Grilled Shrimp Salad with Peanut Dressing http://www.closetcooking.com/2009/09/mango-avocado-and-grilled-shrimp-salad.html.  Almost perfect, I had most of the ingredients.

The grilled shrimp came from another recipe on the site, Tom yum grilled shrimp.  I found it to have too many ingredients that I didn’t have and sounded too time consuming. It was already 9pm and I was just starting dinner.  So, instead of making the as suggested, I chose to marinate them in a marinade I found of Bobby Flay’s, on the Food Network site. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/ginger-soy-lime-marinated-shrimp-recipe/index.html .

The only things I changed in the marinade was the ginger and leaving out the shallot. I had no fresh ginger but I did have crystallized ginger. I cut the sugar out of the recipe and used chopped crystallized sugar instead. It worked just fine. I grilled the shrimp on skewers on a med hot grill until browned and just done, but still tender.

The dressing for the salad called for a birds eye chile. I had no fresh chile but I did have Sriracha, so I used just a small squeeze of it instead.  The recipe also called for 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. I am not a big fan of fishy, so I only used about a teaspoon. For the salad greens, I had arugula.  I am happy I used it. It went very well with the dressing. Brown sugar was my choice of sweetener.

Along with the dinner, I made a tropical vodka colada using the tropical vodka I made from Roy Yamaguchi’s recipe http://ptbcooking.blogspot.com/2009/06/on-visit-to-dallas-last-year-i-had-very.html.

I combined the vodka, Knudson Pineapple Coconut juice and ice in a blender and blended until smooth. I toasted some fresh sweetened coconut, dipped the rim of a martini glass in honey then dipped it again in the coconut to decorate.  I then added the juice/vodka blend to the glass and topped it with cool whip I had mixed with a little rum extract. It was delicious.

I have included the link to the meal recipes above, but here they are as well.  I hope you will try them.  This makes a great summer meal.

Mango, Avocado and Grilled Shrimp Salad with a Peanut Dressing

(makes 2 salads)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
1 lime (juice and zest)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 birds eye chili (sliced)
1 teaspoon palm sugar (grated or brown sugar)
1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
1 tablespoon mint (chopped)
1 mango (stoned, scooped and sliced)
1 avocado (stoned, scooped and sliced)
2 handfuls salad greens
2 green onions (sliced)
2 tablespoons peanuts (roasted and chopped)
6 tom yum grilled shrimp (optional)

Directions:
1. Mix the coconut milk, lime, fish sauce, peanut butter, chili, sugar and cilantro in a bowl and set aside.
2. Assemble the salad, toss with dressing to coat and serve garnished with chopped roasted peanuts.

Ginger-Soy-Lime Marinated Shrimp

Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay

Ingredients

    2 large shallots, peeled and chopped

    1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

    4 cloves garlic, smashed

    3/4 cup soy sauce

    1/2 cup fresh lime juice

    2 tablespoons sugar

    1/4 cup chopped green onions

    1/4 cup peanut oil

    1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

    2 pounds large shrimp, shells and tails on

Directions

Place shallots, ginger, garlic, soy, lime juice, and sugar in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the green onion and oil and blend until combined. Season with black pepper, to taste. Place shrimp in a large bowl, pour the marinade over, and let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Preheat a grill to high. Remove shrimp from the marinade and grill for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Serve on brown paper bags, if desired.

Serves: 8; Calories: 177; Total Fat: 5 grams; Saturated Fat: 1 gram; Protein: 25 grams; Total carbohydrates: 7 grams; Sugar: 4 grams; Fiber: 0 grams; Cholesterol: 172 milligrams; Sodium: 1923 milligrams

The joys of coconut oil

A friend of mine that is into “holistic” foods and supplements got me interested in using coconut oil.  

He suggested I try the unrefined, organic, cold pressed coconut oil, that among other things, it was great for cooking. I decided I would  try it.  He also suggested that I take a teaspoon 2x a day for health.  I tried that as well.

The results? Well first, for my health, I take a teaspoon and sit it out to warm slightly (actually I put it briefly on top of my drip coffee maker until it liquefies). It tastes pretty good. I feel healthy but that doesn’t prove anything. Although I think he has “sold out” a bit, here is what Dr. Oz has to say about the health benefits. http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/charles-mattocks/benefits-coconut-oil If Dr Oz says it, it must be true, right?

Cooking with coconut oil has been great.  I cooked my salmon with it the other night. All I did was put my salmon on a baking sheet, squeezed some lemon on it then spread coconut oil on top. I then added a sprinkling (not too much) of Pink Salt. I baked my salmon  filets at 350 degrees for 10 minutes per inch.

A minute or two before the salmon was done, I topped it with shredded coconut (yes I used the sweetened kind but fresh coconut would be great too) and let it lightly brown on top. That was all I did and it was fantastic. I am hooked.

I doubt my friend had any idea how hooked on coconut oil I could be. Being a native Floridian, I have always loved coconut...fresh off the tree! 

 I read an online article about using it as a conditioner for your hair, so what do you think I did? Yes, you guessed it. I washed my hair then got out of the shower and an urge to spread the stuff on my hair took hold.

So, I will tell you….you can’t just rinse it out and you can’t leave it in. I tried both. Leaving it in, I tried to dry my hair but all I got was greasy hair. Then I tried rinsing it with warm water.  It was still in my hair but I was able to at least dry it. It was late and I was tired so I rationalized drying my hair but leaving what was left of the coconut oil in my hair overnight. I then washed it in the morning (an old pillowcase is recommended). Voila, I have the softest, silkiest, shiniest hair that I have had in years. I love it.

My sister thinks I am addicted to the stuff….she may have a point.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4348/5-Ways-to-Use-Coconut-Oil.html

Shrimp and the Carbon footprint

http://news.yahoo.com/tiny-shrimp-leave-giant-carbon-footprint-scientist-005737489.html
More evidence that Asian produced shrimp are not good for us or the environment. Ask before you buy and buy Key West Shrimp!